PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — As wildfires continue to burn across Colorado, people should expect to run into more animals driven out of their habitats.
A News5 viewer in Pueblo, Rick Hough, reached out to News5 after spotting a bear on the south side of Pueblo Thursday afternoon. Detailing what he saw, he said the bear appeared to be covered in ash and he had reported it to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
We reached out to CPW with the following questions:
"We know that the bears can be forced out of their home during the fire and show up in more residential areas. Is there a message you would like to share with our viewers about this topic? Safety reminders, what they should do, etc?"
CPW got back to us Thursday with the following statement:
Two things are happening - the challenges related to a historic lack of snowpack forced bears into Front Range communities looking for food before the fire; the fire has wiped out some of their current habitat, and even more bears are headed into the community. On top of this, rotting food, community dumpsters associated with clean-ups that are about to happen as people return to evacuated areas, and potential camping-type living conditions for some, all are contributing to our concerns about human-bear interactions.
The most important tips remain unchanged: Trash control at all times; Food control at all times - bear-resistant trash containers/bear-resistant coolers. Keep house doors/car doors locked. Always be prepared to "haze" a bear - ie, ensure the first encounter is an unrewarded (no food) and uncomfortable encounter for the bear.
In an update from CPW, they said officers were able to track down the bear, and thankfully, it was not burned or covered in ash. CPW says it is a cinnamon (blonde) colored black bear.
Officers with the Pueblo Police Department and CPW were able to recover the bear from a local tree, and it will be relocated to a better habitat.
Pueblo Fire Department crews also assisted in the relocation. See an update from the department below:
For more information on living with bears, visit CPW's website. For more on how to file a wildlife report, click here.
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